


A Spark

by waltzforthemoon



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: Fireside Chats, Friendship/Love, M/M, Spring in Hieron Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 15:22:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16537166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waltzforthemoon/pseuds/waltzforthemoon
Summary: Spring in Hieron 03 spoilersFero and Ephrim reconnect and it might be the start of something new and good for the both of them.





	A Spark

**Author's Note:**

> I've been so sad about Ephrim and Fero ever since "I'm gonna hug my little buddy!" and I am so here for this friendship!!! (or more????) 
> 
> anyway, this is Fero and Ephrim being very Soft with each other and Fero finally getting some tenderness sent his way :')

“It’s me, Fero!” Fero grinned triumphantly as he stared at the hilarious expression on Ephrim’s face—mouth entirely agape, eyes wide—and then Ephrim’s gape turned into a bright smile as he shook his head.

Fero was mid-laugh when he noticed that Ephrim had run up to him, big smile still on his face. The next second, Ephrim threw his arms around Fero, squeezing him tight.

“I thought you were dead!” Ephrim was speaking into Fero’s neck as he held him close and Fero stopped laughing. Maybe it was the shock of how strongly Ephrim held him. Maybe it was the fact that Ephrim— _PRINCE EPHRIM, OF ALL PEOPLE_ —had decided to give Fero a hug.

Fero can’t even remember the last time someone had hugged him.

Fero brought a hand up to Ephrim’s elbow and squeezed back lightly. Ephrim finally pulled away but kept a hand on Fero’s shoulder.

“You little shit!” Ephrim exclaimed with a laugh. Fero looked closely and saw his eyes shining—and not because of a smolder or some fire-based power, it looked like tears had welled up in his eyes.

“Ahaha… yeah, it was me the whole time! I was just messing with ya! Impressive, huh?” Fero grinned at Ephrim, who looked at him warmly and nodded.

“I don’t even want to know the story behind that…” Ephrim groaned, sighing in his princely way. But then he smiled again as he looked at Fero. “But I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Glad you are too! I think you have facial hair now, wow!” Fero giggled and then felt his heart jump at the small squeeze that Ephrim gave him before standing up properly and moving away.

That was normal, right?

It’s probably just been a few years since Fero’s been touched by anyone. That’s all… Right?

“Yeah, well… we have a lot to catch up on. Fero, are you here to stay?” Ephrim asked.

“Yeah. I am,” Fero told him with a smile.

 

+

 

After several hours of many small tours of Ephrim and Throndir’s new community, and after most of the inhabitants had gone to sleep, Fero was sitting out in the middle of a starlit courtyard, trying to study the new plants he found breaking through the cracks in the stone.

“Hey, Fero.” It was Ephrim’s voice, and Fero turned around to see him walking up close. 

“I didn’t…wake you up or anything, did I?” Fero asked.

“No, I… I was up.” Ephrim glanced down.

Fero wondered if it was the passage of time or the years of struggles that had weathered Ephrim’s face. He looked less delicate than before, with eye bags, stubble, and unevenly cut hair. He had even got rid of the princely wardrobe, wearing ordinary clothing.

“Well, you can sit next to me if you want.” Fero patted the stone next to him.

Ephrim softly tilted up the corners of his mouth as he obliged and sat cross-legged next to Fero.

They sat quietly together until Ephrim reached out a palm and sparked a small fire in front of them, using the dry plants that were poking from the ground.

“Hey, I was studying that!” Fero protested in jest.

“Oh—sorry,” Ephrim said as he stamped out the flame.

“I was kidding. It’s fine,” Fero quickly interjected.

“Oh,” Ephrim replied with a dry laugh. He reanimated the fire in front of them, then he sighed. “It’s been such a long time since anyone’s really been in a joking mood here.”

Fero glanced over at him, concerned. He had seemed so bright and confident all day—it was weird to see him so weary.

“You okay, Ephrim?”

Ephrim turned to him and sadly smiled. “Yeah. I am… Um. Fero?”

“Yeah?” Fero asked.

“I want to apologize. I never did and… this was years ago—geez, years, huh?” Ephrim was rubbing his palms together and Fero noticed that the small flame was wavering in size and flickering wildly.

“What is it?” Fero asked, placing a hand on Ephrim’s elbow. Ephrim looked at him, and then the flame became steady again.

His eyes were heavy, as if he were in pain. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Fero asked, vaguely remembering that he had been angry at both Ephrim and Throndir before he left, but he couldn’t remember exactly why at the moment.

“I’m sorry… back at the Archives, when you went through that door—and we just left you. I wanted to go back to make sure you were okay, but Lem said it was fine and that we were supposed to focus on the pattern—but that’s no excuse. You were my friend, and… I left you.”

Ephrim hung his head and let out a deep sigh. “I’m so sorry, Fero.”

Fero didn’t know what to say. He was speechless. He hadn’t expected an apology. Fero doesn’t even remember being mad at Ephrim for that—he was mostly pissed off at Lem, anyway.

He had no idea that Ephrim considered him a friend.

“Anyway, I… I’ll do better by you this time.” Ephrim let out a breath and grinned this time. “I missed you. It’s really good to have you back!”

Fero finally blinked and then mustered up a smile. “It’s okay. You don’t need to apologize.”

“What?”

Fero waved a hand. “I’m good now! Besides, I was never mad at you for that.”

“Really… because I seem to recall you saying ‘everyone in this room is a motherfucker!’” Ephrim broke out into a laugh and then Fero also broke into a laugh.

“Okay… so maybe I was a bit mad.”

“Just a bit,” Ephrim echoed with a grin.

Fero smiled at him. “There, you look like yourself again.”

“Huh?” Ephrim lost his grin and stared at Fero in confusion.

“You just… looked really tired until just now.”

Ephrim exhaled lesisurely this time. “Well, you’ve certainly brought some energy back.”

“You still got a lot of work to do here, huh?” Fero asked.

“Yeah… But it’ll be better now that you’re here.”

“I’m glad to be,” Fero replied.

Ephrim’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yeah. We’re friends, right?” Fero asked.

“Yes, of course!” Ephrim grinned at Fero. 

“Well… friends help each other, so I’m going to help you.”

“Thanks, Fero.”

“Thank _you!_ " Fero glanced down at his feet. "You know, I didn’t think you’d be happy to see me.”

“What? Why not?”

“‘Cause I’m a jerk. And… I didn’t even know you thought of me as a friend before.”

“Well, I didn’t really have friends before going on this adventure with you and the others. And you’re always fun to be around even when we’re in life-threatening danger. More fun than Throndir anyway—but don’t tell him that.” Ephrim smirked at Fero as he said this.

Fero smugly grinned. “Haha, okay!

They sat quietly as Ephrim’s gentle flame flickered in the quiet courtyard.

“Hey Ephrim?”

“Yeah?”

Fero leaned over and wrapped an arm around Ephrim, bringing their heads close. Ephrim had flinched at first and then melded into Fero’s touch.

“I missed you, too,” Fero told him, hoping Ephrim couldn’t see the forming tears in his eyes.

Ephrim said nothing but squeezed Fero closer.

Fero let a silent tear fall from his eye, though it was a happy sort of crying. It felt good to have someone be this tender with him, felt even better to hug Ephrim, to sit quietly like this with him next to the warmth of a small fire.

Fero wasn’t sure what this was between them, if it was a spark that might lead to something more, what that could mean in a world that was headed toward its doom—but for the moment, everything was okay.

 

 


End file.
